Who Needs a Desk Job?: February 2013

(Photos at bottom of post)

My three weeks in the U.S. were split between DC, Michigan and New York and punctuated by some amazing reunions with friends and family. After that very refreshing trip home for the holidays, it’s been a pleasure to be back to work in Suriname!

Work in the village is coming along really well. Thanks to the support of readers like you the playground project is fully funded. Donors from eight U.S. states and five foreign countries (kudos, Core members!) contributed to the project. The construction contract was signed yesterday and building is scheduled to begin the week of February 17—one week after the check will have arrived from America. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The daycare center is a little behind schedule: Though construction is complete, the facility is not yet open. However, final supplies (sheets for the beds, a vacuum cleaner, curtains, a trash can, etc.) were purchased last week and we’re on track to get it up and running before the end of the month. It is finally starting to feel like a reality.

English lessons are going tremendously well, too. When I returned from the States I was pleased to hear my students read their homework assignments aloud: 18 sentences (using different verbs in each) about their lives and activities. They had almost no grammatical faults and several students wrote more than was required, including one girl who wrote 41 sentences. We had a quiz last week on regular verb conjugation and reading and pronunciation and the lowest score was 70%. They’re now also starting to get the hang of the game Scrabble. Though I had to explain that I will no longer accept words like “dick” and “ass,” which they glowingly included in the first game. Note: They did not learn those words from me!

An HIV/AIDS curriculum, developed by Peace Corps Suriname, has been printed in English and Dutch thanks to funding by PEPFAR. The curriculum, distributed this week, will be implemented in several villages’ 6^th grade classes by teachers, in coordination with Peace Corps volunteers.

We had a constructive stitching meeting with the Peace Corps Response Volunteer working at UNDP’s Small Grants Program to discuss project ideas for a grant proposal benefitting Ricanaumofo. The conclusion was that Rica will seek a grant to develop a forest plan composed of two central parts: sustainable lumber harvesting and training in pesticide alternatives.

Rica also recently had a pleasant visit from UNICEF and representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development, which is awarding the community with a SRD $38,000 grant to build toilets in the village. The grant will be provided directly to the stitching, who will administer the project together with two villagers trained in UNICEF’s WASH program. Each beneficiary will be required to provide a part of the labor and a small cash contribution toward the costs. Budget estimates suggest that between 12-15 toilets will be built with the funds.

A few weeks ago we had a surprise helicopter landing by Ronnie Brunswijk (aka "Bravo"), the man who single-handedly started Suriname's Interior War in the '80s against now-president Desi Bouterse. He landed his helicopter in the field behind my house to swarms of villagers running toward it chanting, "We want Bravo!" When he exited the helicopter, he was buried in hugs and kisses and dancing women. Bravo waved at his worshipers and announced that he would be coming back later to throw a party for the village. He then got back in the helicopter to fly away and tossed SRD $100 bills out the door during the ascent.

Although the job search has already begun in preparation for the next chapter of my life, I am excited for the last five months of my Peace Corps service. As projects get wrapped up, I have a little time left to spend with my dear friends in Rica and to celebrate their successes over the last few years. I cannot express how thankful I am for the people in my community and the support I've received from friends and family at home throughout this experience. It won't be difficult to end on a high note!

Please see a sample of photos from my visit to the States and a few taken on my new camera since returning to Suriname. Enjoy!

A butterfly balancing on a flower during my morning walk.

Blue bird seen from my house mid-morning.

Stunning red and black bird seen the same morning.

Two young boys enjoying one of the books I brought from America.

And a few more!

My English students' first game of Scrabble. They didn't understand that all of the words needed to connect and that all the letters needed to face the same direction, but we've made progress since.